Necromancer's Descent

48 - Rewards and Preparations

Narrator's Point of View

The dark throne room lights up, the black star specked granite reflecting the bursts of a blue mana flame, lighting up hundreds of ancient braziers on floor after floor above, until finally, the mirror in the middle of the throne room lights up with moonlight from the telescopic lenses, and sets ablaze, swirling with energy, that builds and twists as it grows, before finally exploding, sending a blast of pure mana through the throne room, and the mana flame turns into a pillar of pure light, rising up through the throne room and into the sky like a guiding beam.

Creatures, hidden in the darkness, forgotten and waiting, rise from their granite chairs, reaching for the flames, like a child for their mother's hand.

A cacophony of screams echoes through the hall, and they all flinch, and look to the throne of their master, before bowing their heads in shame and humiliation, as though words had sounded, though none were said.

Without a word, he motions for them to sit once more, and they sit, back into their dark granite chairs.

His hand rises slowly, before pointing to a chair near him. The creature, clad from head to toe in the deepest, blackest armor, raises her head to his attention, and he motions for her to rise with a clawed, red hand.

"Estella."

Their master's voice, that of a frightened man, calls.

"Go."

Then changes to that of a woman, filled with determination.

Estella rises, elegantly as a black swan, and as she curtsies, speckles of stars form a dress around her armor, and sways gently with her curtsey. Growls and sneers of jealousy spread around the throne room, but none dare speak up. Even if they did, nothing would change. Estella straightens up, and the stars fade as she walks out of the hall, and only once, glances longingly at the flames. 

Nao/ Rosalin's Point of View

[Hostility Detected]

I almost choke on my food at the red popup, and almost swing my head towards Theodore in a panic. Johannes is over with Mia, so if it's not him, then it's probably an enemy.

Is what I thought.

To my... rather mixed feelings of relief and disappointment, I see Theodore look at sir Azzo, who's holding a rather small and fragile looking stick towards Theodore like a sword, with both of them still sitting down.

I have to hold in a sigh. Still, he's looking kind of annoyed with Theodore. Perhaps he tried to talk with him, and Theodore ignored him, and he just reached his breaching point of being ignored?

"Uhm, sir Azzo, is there an issue?"

Azzo looks from Theodore, and then to me, and then back to Theodore, like he's just checking his reaction to me breaking into the conversation. He then sighs.

"No. It's nothing."

Azzo puts the stick down, giving off a sort of feeling like he got defeated, and goes up to fetch a bowl of food for himself.

I have to deal with food for Theodore too.

I don't know whether to be thankful or weirded out, but Theodore and I got a tent to ourselves by Mia's orders...

I'll take a plate later and 'feed' Theodore in there. Not sure what I'll do with the actual food though... perhaps sneak off and pour it out... even if it's a waste...

I sigh and look down to the stick.

What was he gonna do? Play pretend sword fight?

"The sad part is that you can only take it seriously," I say softly to Theodore, that now looks straight ahead again after losing his target.